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Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, OR Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Marijuana haul reaching
past 31,000 plants while
lawmen continue efforts
Approximately 10,250
growing marijuana plants
were yanked from U.S. For-
est Service land northwest
of Cave Junction by a law
enforcement team effort
focused on illegal weed be-
ing grown by a cartel.
The effort brings to
more than 31,000 the total
number of marijuana plants
lawmen uprooted in Jose-
phine and Jackson
counties during the
past few weeks.
The most recent
operation involved
plants pulled from
the Chrome Ridge
area on Friday, Aug.
24, said Josephine Marijuana
Eradication Team (JOMET).
The eight-member team par-
ticipated in a Drug Enforce-
ment Agency (DEA) case
with Jackson County Sher-
iff’s Office, and the forest
service.
Jackson County pro-
vided some 25 deputies, said
Det. Sgt. Ken Selig, of Jose-
phine Interagency Narcotics
Team. He added that Jack-
son County also aided DEA
with logistical supplies in-
cluding a helicopter, and a
dump truck used to haul the
marijuana plants to a dump
site for destruction.
Several cartel grows in
Josephine and Jackson
counties have been investi-
gated since early spring by
DEA and the forest service,
said Selig. Large grows
were revealed, he said, by
tips from many sources and
flights over federal land.
He added that sites typi-
cally are manned by two to
five Hispanic men. The ma-
jority of growers, in this
country illegally, are re-
cruited by families from
Mexico to grow marijuana
on Oregon’s federally man-
aged land, Selig said.
During recent weeks,
JOMET assisted
DEA with eradica-
tion of slightly less
than 10,000 pot
plants near Car-
berry Creek in
Jackson County,
and approximately
9,000 plants off Coyote
Creek in Josephine County.
Additionally, DEA and
Jackson County authorities
eradicated 2,000 plants off
Abbot Creek near Prospect.
JOINT and Josephine
County Sheriff’s Office,
said Selig, urge caution for
those visiting the forest.
They should be extra vigi-
lant, he said.
“The growers of these
large marijuana grow sites
are armed, rarely speak Eng-
lish, have been instructed to
use deadly force to defend
the grow sites,” said Selig.
“Many are located along
popular trails and water re-
source areas.
“If you see suspicious
activity or come upon a
marijuana growing site,
leave the area and notify law
enforcement,” Selig said.
RIVERSIDE PHYSICAL THERAPY in Western Plaza in
Cave Junction took delivery of a large tub for use in
low-impact exercise and physical therapy. Installation
of the pool, which is 8-feet wide and 16-feet long, re-
quired that a double door and window be temporarily
Fire danger level raised to ‘extreme’ by ODF order
The public use fire dan-
ger level on land protected
by the Oregon Dept. of For-
estry’s (ODF) S.W. Oregon
District climbed to
“extreme” (red) at 12:01
a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 28.
The Industrial Fire Pre-
caution Level (IFPL) re-
mains at Level II.
Fire precaution levels
assigned by the S.W. Ore-
gon District, located in
Medford, affect state, pri-
vate, county and Bureau of
Land Management forest-
land in Josephine and Jack-
son counties. The district
has unit offices in Medford
and Grants Pass.
The following public
use restriction changes are
in effect:
*Chain saw use is disal-
lowed between 10 a.m. and
8 p.m. During other hours,
users must have an ax,
shovel and fire extinguisher
on-site, and provide a one-
hour fire watch after using a
chain saw.
*Mowing dry grass is
disallowed between 10 a.m.
and 8 p.m. (except for agri-
cultural purposes, such as
cutting hay).
*Cutting, grinding or
welding metal is disallowed
between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m.
During other hours, a water
supply must be present at
the work site, and work may
proceed only in a cleared
area.
The following public
use restrictions remain in
effect:
*All open burning of
Runaway boy
may be in I.V.
WINDRIDGE VINEYARDS provided the setting for the annual membership meet-
ing of the Illinois River Valley Arts Council (IRVAC), Wednesday evening Aug.
22. The arts group has determined that it will host its Wooly Winter Gala again.
A likely location is Siskiyou Field Institute’s Deer Creek Center in Selma in Feb-
ruary. (Photo by Illinois Valley News)
Law enforcement offi-
cers believe that a boy, 16,
who ran away from home in
Redding, Calif. could be in
Cave Junction.
His name is Benjamin
Levi “Benj” Hodgdon. He
could be with his two adult
brothers, who do not have
permission to be in his com-
pany, said the Redding Po-
lice Dept.
Hodgdon is described as
white, standing 5-4 with a
weight of 125 pounds. He
has blue eyes, and dark
blond hair with two white-
and-blond patches at the top
of the back.
Information about the
youth can be given to the
Redding Police Dept. at
(530) 225-4564.
Weird-goofy-funny.
Have a story like that?
Phone 592-2541
RICK’S COPY EXPRESS held an open house at its
new location on 200 W. Lister St. across from the
Cave Junction Post Office on Wednesday, Aug. 22.
Visitors enjoyed refreshments and a look at the
new office supply and copy store. It’s also an au-
thorized FedEx shipping center. (I.V. News photo)
removed. The 2,000-gallon pool replaces a smaller Ja-
cuzzi unit and allows for water therapy programs for
hip, knee, and lower-back patients which used to take
place at the Cave Junction Swimming Pool. (Photo by
Michelle Binker, Illinois Valley News)
Fine Dining
Steaks - Chicken - Fish - Large Hamburgers
Restaurant separate from lounge
Now Available Every Day!
Prime Rib & Prime Rib Sandwiches
Open 4 to 10 p.m. 7 days
592-2892 or 592-4222
debris is prohibited. This
includes burn barrels.
*Fireworks are prohib-
ited, except in cleared areas
such as green lawns and
driveways.
*Camp fires are allowed
only in designated camp-
grounds. This restriction
includes charcoal-fired bar-
becues; however, stoves
using liquefied or bottled
fuels are allowed.
*Vehicles, including
motorcycles and all-terrain
vehicles, are not allowed on
unimproved roads.
*Smoking is allowed
only in vehicles and only
while on improved roads.
For more information
about ODF fire season regu-
lations, phone 474-3152 or
664-3328.
30 years experience in water, sewer & pipeline
construction, brush clearing, septic installation
& utility line trenching
Specializing in
alternative
septic systems
READY TO DIG & AIMING TO PLEASE 24 HOURS A DAY
CCB#159580
1-(541) 597-4486
Edsen Donato, DPTSc, PT, OCS, CHT, CSCS
Ed Goll, DHSc, PT
“ Joint Replacement
Jeff Wood, MS, PT
“ Back & Neck Injury
Jim McCall, PTA
“ Sports Injury
Sharla Smith, PTA
“ Certified Hand Therapist
Three Convenient Locations
Grants Pass
(541) 476-2502
1619 NW Hawthorn Ave. #109
Cave Junction (541) 592-6580
218 N Redwood Hwy.
Glendale
(541) 832-2765
300 Pacific Ave.
“ Gait/Balance Training
“ Anodyne Therapy
“ Aquatic Therapy
“ Auto Claims
“ Work Related Injuries
“ Accept Medicare
Assignment
“ Blue Cross Preferred
Provider
“ Most Insurance Plans
Accepted
“ Member APTA &
NW Rehab Alliance
MANSFIELD R. CLEARY
Attorney at Law
General Practice in
Illinois Valley
since 1980
Practice includes but not limited to:
Bankruptcy - Eliminate
financial problems
Living trusts - Avoid probate
Estate planning - Wills,
power of attorney
Domestic relations
Auto accident - Personal Injury
Criminal - DUII
Real Estate contracts - Foreclosure
592-2195
200 W. Lister